Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-0 victory over Hertha (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich was facing off with the Bundesliga’s worst team — and for a half, it was sketchy.
The Bavarians were able to turn it on and pick up three points behind goals from Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman. Joshua Kimmich powered both plays with assists. Let’s get it going for this week with some quick hitters on the match:
- Let’s start with the lineup:
- Thomas Tuchel had some bizarre selections. Benched were Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané, while Serge Gnabry, Sadio Mané, and Jamal Musiala — a trio of struggling players got the call. It would be interesting to know the real rationale behind this, but the postgame quotes were just “coach speak.”
- Aside of that, I would have liked to see Josip Stanišić and Noussair Mazraoui start at the outside-back positions as both can play on either side. Instead, Tuchel opted for Cancelo, which could be a sign that the manager is laying the groundwork to keep him full-time.
- I do think Tuchel is going to push for Cancelo, which would be a mistake (given how much money he will command).
- Bayern Munich needs to give Mané the ol’ Bob Seger treatment. Stop trying to make it work at the expense of other players.
- Speaking of Cancelo, I get why some fans are dazzled by his footwork and flair (Cancelo has out-of-this-world skill), but the reason he would be an awful signing is that he is a brutal defender. In the 16th minute, when left in a 1v1 with Dodi Lukebakio, Cancelo went into “traffic cone mode” and offered little resistance. He also lost possession 28 times, which would even make the 2022/23 version of Alphonso Davies clutch his pearls.
- I know Bayern Munich has an expert coming in, but the field turf was awful again. So many slips.
- Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich is boring.
- As expected, Hertha Berlin parked the bus and sat extremely deep. It ultimately didn’t work and Bayern Munich broke through for a couple of goals.
- Serge Gnabry’s header goal was pretty awesome. Joshua Kimmich sent in a beautiful lofted ball over the top and Gnabry lunged at it to ensure he hit with maximum power and accuracy for a 1-0 lead in the second half.
- Kimmich later set up Kingsley Coman for a goal. This was one of Kimmich’s better efforts of late as he did fill the role of dictating the pace of the match, while also being the “ball-paying maestro” that many think the team needs. Kimmich completed 109 of his 119 passes.
- Jamal Musiala just can’t seem to get into the flow of the game right now. It seems as if the youngster needs some downtime. I know the temptation is to just keep rolling him out there, but it’s not working. Statistically, Musiala was fine, however, it was just not an impactful performance.
- The center-back duo of Matthijs de Ligt and Benjamin Pavard was very solid. They were not tested too often, but they held strong to help give Sommer the clean sheet.
- Call me crazy, but I prefer Pavard over Dayot Upamecano. That is less a slight on Upamecano than it is praise for how good Pavard has been this season. It is a luxury to have four great center-backs like Bayern Munich does when De Ligt, Pavard, Upamecano, and Lucas Hernandez are all healthy.
- Ryan Gravenberch put in a solid effort as a sub, He played 33 minutes and only lost possession…TWO TIMES! That is fantastic! He has complained to the media more than that! Seriously, good showing for the kid.
- Overall, the Tuchel brand for Bayern Munich is bland and unimaginative. It is hard to know or understand what direction Tuchel will take the team in, but so far, it has not been fun or attractive football. In some respects, it is hard to expect Tuchel to have all of the answers at this point, but having more than he currently has would be…something. Getting three points is the main goal, though, and Tuchel helped his team do just that. Winning the Bundesliga would certainly salvage this trainwreck of a season.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look and/or a listen:
Bayern enters bidding war for Mount? (CaughtOffside)
At least a report is stating that Bayern Munich is entering a “bidding war” with Liverpool FC for Chelsea FC midfielder (and Thomas Tuchel favorite) Mason Mount:
Bayern Munich are prepared to enter a bidding war with Liverpool for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount this summer.
Football Insider has reported that the Bayern and former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is an admirer of Mount from their time together at Stamford Bridge. His current deal with Chelsea will see his contract expire in the summer of 2024, this means Chelsea are slowly but surely running out of time to secure him at the club on a long-term basis.
With both Bayern and Liverpool seemingly interested in acquiring him this summer, the England international will certainly have plenty of suitors should he want to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
Football365 had more information as well:
Bayern Munich are confident of beating off competition (BFW Editor’s Note: This is a transfer strategy we have not seen from Bayern Munich before) from Liverpool and Arsenal for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, according to reports.
The England international’s contract is expiring and he has attracted interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
He has been unable to agree fresh terms with Chelsea so far with the Blues not yet meeting his contract demands ahead of the summer transfer window.
That has fueled interest with clubs hoping they can sign Mount for a bargain price but The Athletic journalist David Ornstein says that a “conversation” between Mount and Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has given the Blues a glimmer of hope that they can strike a deal.
Watkins atop Bayern’s striker radar? (Express)
Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane might no longer be the English striker apple of Bayern Munich’s eye.
No, instead it could be Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (I know…control your excitement):
Ollie Watkins has reportedly emerged as a target for Bayern Munich with the Bundesliga giants said to be weighing up a £60million deal after watching him against Fulham earlier this week. Harry Kane has been linked with a move over the last 12 months but now may have been ousted by his international compatriot as the Bavarian’s top target.
Watkins has been one of the form players in the Premier League in recent months as he spearheads Aston Villa’s charge towards European football. The 27-year-old has scored 11 goals in his last 15 appearances in the Premier League with the Villians now flying high sixth in the table.
Now, the Sun reports that his form has caught the attention of Bayern Munich as they seek to add to their No 9 options. Bayern’s technical director Marco Neppe was at Villa Park on Tuesday to watch Unai Emery’s men beat Fulham 1-0. It is believed he was there to watch Watkins who is valued at around £60m.
The Bavarians have failed to hit their usual heights this season after failing to adequately replace Robert Lewandowski and have started to turn to the Premier League to solve their goalscoring issues.
Tottenham striker Kane has been heavily linked with a move to Germany in the past but it now appears he may have been surpassed as the club’s top target by Watkins.
However, Sky Sport’s Florian Plettenberg threw some shade at the rumor:
Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 42 (Bavarian Football Works)
What happens when Bayern Munich is in the midst of a crazy period where the executives, the coaches, and the players are all under-performing and the events are being referred to as “shambolic” by some pundits?
Well, at Bavarian Podcast Works, we throw our normal Weekend Warm-up format out the window and go full roundtable.
Instead of just hearing my voice, I teamed up with BFW superstar Ineednoname and former BFW staffer and current Daily Mail journo Jake Fenner to break down what’s went wrong, how things are going, and what things might look like moving forward.
We cover it all, give our takes on why this has become a mess, and why no one — from the coach to the CEO to the starting No. 8 — is really safe these days.
Felix probably not headed back to Madrid to Atleti (The Sun via 90Min.com)
Joao Felix likely will not be heading back to Atlético Madrid after his loan at Chelsea FC ends. While his destination is uncertain, another loan spell in London is possible:
Joao Felix will not be returning to Atletico Madrid this summer and could instead extend his loan deal at Chelsea.
NUFC to make move on Dembele? (The Hard Tackle)
Newcastle United seems like it could be readying an offer for FC Barcelona enigma Ousmane Dembele:
According to Graeme Bailey via TEAMtalk, Newcastle United would love to have Ousmane Dembele in their ranks. And, the Barcelona star is open to a move to the Premier League. The 25-year-old winger is considered a very important part of the Catalan giants’ setup. However, they might have to consider his sale for a few different reasons.
Dembele came into the limelight on the back of his heroics while playing at Borussia Dortmund. His performances resulted in a record-breaking move to Barcelona in the summer of 2017. The France international might have struggled with injuries, but he has surely done his bit.
Alert: Stoppage time goalkeeper goal! (@ThornsFC)
Can she play striker (asking for a friend in Munich):